teacher



(No Model.)

\ 3 Sheets-Sheet 1* W. A. TEACHER,

A ENGINEERS VALVE. No. 521,425.

Patented June 12, 1894. WE L INVENTOR .JZQWZ RNEY.

W TNE ES." 0% m. B

(No Model.) v 3' Sheets-Sheet 2. 'W. A. TEACHER.

. ENGINEBRS VALVE. No: 521,425.

Patented June ,12, 11894.

IN VEN TOR OHNEK (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. A. THAGHER.

ENGINEERS VALVE.

No. 521,425. Patented June 12, 1894.

EK E INVENTOH 7 30. returned to position. v p The invention made the subject hereof per- UNIT D STATES PATENT Crates...

WILLIAM A. THACHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE THACHER CAR AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

. EHNGINEERS VALVE.

\ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,425, dated June 12, 1894.

' Application filed February 6, 1893. Serial No. 461,144. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. TEACHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engineers Valves, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in [0 engineers valves for use more particularly on the locomotive of a train of dumping cars in which the car sections are tilted to dump their load by means of compressed air.

In Letters Patent of the United States numbered 489,242 and 489,243 granted to William A. Thacher January 3, 1893, are shown and described certain dumping cars in which the car sections are pivotally mounted. and provided with compressed air cylinders having inlets at each end connected with main pipe lines leading from a reservoir of compressed air located on the locomotive and. in the said Letters Patent it is described that the piston rods of the cylinders areconnected with the 2 5 pivoted car sections in such manner that when the air is admitted to one end of the cylinders the said rods will tilt the sections to dump their load, and when admitted to the other end of said cylinders the car sections will be tains to the valve intermediate the reservoir of compressed air and the main pipe lines leading to the air cylinders of the train, and

5 this valve is under the control of the engineer who by turning the same may direct the air into either pipe line at will. The said valve is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- 0 Figure 1 is a top view of a valve constructed in accordance with and embodying theinvention. Fig. 21s a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a top view of the lower section of the valve easing, the bolts being in section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the valve on the dotted line 44 of Fig. 1. -.Fig. 5 is an edgeview of the'valve proper withdrawn from its casing. Fig. 6 is a top view of same. Fig. 7 is a further edge view of same. Fig. 8 is a bottom view of same. Fig. 9 is averticalsection of same on the dotted line 9-9 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a vertical section of same on the dotted line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

In the drawings A designates the valve casing which is composed of the upper and lower sections B, C, bolted together and forming between them the air-tight chamber D, in which is pivotally mounted the valve proper E. The upper surface of the lower section C of the casing A forms the seat for the valve E, and at the lower side of the section C are the nozzles F, G, H, receiving the ends of the pipes I,'J, K, the pipe I loading from a reservoir, not shown, of compressed air and the pipes J, K, respectively leading to the main pipe-lines extending'to the air cylinders of .the train. The lower section C is provided at one side with an elongated or segmental inlet port Lin direct communication with the inlet or supply pipe Land at its opposite 7o side the saidsection C has formed in it the ports M, N, leading respectively to the pipes J, K, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The lower section C is also provided with an ex haust port 0, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4..

The valve E is in the form of a disk and is adapted to be rotated axially on its seat by means of a key P, held in the upper section B of the casing by a nut Q and connected with the handle R,'the movement of the lat- 8o ter'in the hand of the engineer serving to rotate the key P and with it the disk or valve E; The handle R is provided with an engaging spring S whose lower end when the handle is in its central or normal position enters 8 5 a' recess T on the upper surface of the section B. The walls of the recess T are so formed that the engineer when moving the handleR may cause the spring to pass from the recess, thus the handle may be moved bythe engi- 9c neer to either the right or left from its central position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, but when moved to its, central position the handle will' be there retained by the springs uh- I til under the direct action of the engineer'th'e 9 5 force of the spring is overcome. .The valve' E on its lower surface at one side is formed with the recessVof a size'adapted to cover or'co'n= nect the ports M, N, and. having thesegmen tal extensions a, b,- which during the move- 10:

ment of the valve come into communication with the exhaust port 0, as hereinafter explained. At the side of the valve E opposite to the recess V is an aperture W, and between said recess and aperture at opposite sides of the center of the valve are the ports X, Y. Vhen the valve E is in the position shown in Figs. at and 6, its aperture W will be centrally over and in communication with the recess L formed in the lower section C of the valve casing, and at such time the recess V of the valve will cover or connect the ports M, N, the latter communicating with each other through the recess. While the recess V is over the ports M, N, the ports X, Y, of the valve will be closed by resting over the solid upper surface of the lower section 0 of the valve casing. The position of the valve E above described is the one in which it will be placed when the valve is not in use or when it is desired after the compressed air apparatus has been used, to connect the pipes J, K, for the purpose of equalizing the air pressure therein. The aperture W never entirely leaves its communication with the recess L and pipe I, and hence at all times there will be an air pressure in the chamber D which will press upon the valve E and maintain it firmly upon its seat. The object of the aperture V is to permit at all times the entrance of the air to the upper side of the valve E in order that the air pressure may be obtained thereon for the purpose of, preserving it firmly against its seat and insuring a reliable operation. as above described, that illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, and in explaining the further operation of the valve it may be assumed that the train of dumping cars'have reached the point at which their body sections are to be tilted by means of the compressed air mechanism, and at such time the engineer will move the handle R to the right, thus causing the port X of the valve to pass over and in line with the port M of the lower section C and the port Y to pass over and into communication with the recess L communicating with the supply pipe I. At this time the port N will be closed, the extension I) of the recess V will pass into communication with the exhaustport O and the compressed air will pass upward from thepipe I and port L through the portYand downwardthrough the port X and port M into the pipeJ leading to the lower end of the compressed air cylinders throughout the train, the result being that the air entering the cylinders will force the pistons therein and their rods upward totilt the car sections whereby thelatter may be enabled to dump their contents. After the car sections have been tilted to dump their contents, the handle R will be moved back to itscentral or normal position, thus closing the ports X, Y, and connecting the ports M, N, through the recess V, the purpose of thus connecting the ports M, N, at this The normal position of the valve E is,

time being to permit the air filling the pipe J to exhaust or escape into the port N and pipe K, thereby equalizing the pressure in the pipes J, K, and filling or partly filling the pipe K with the air which was used for dumping the car sections and which unless turned into the pipe K would be wasted. The handle R is only permitted to remain in its normal or central position at this point in the operation a few moments when it will be pushed to the left preparatory to directing the air from the reservoir through the pipe K for the purpose of restoring the tilted car sections to their former horizontal position. When the handle R is pushed to the left the port X of the valve will appear over the recess L, the port Y will pass directly over the port N, and the port M will be closed, and thus air entering through the pipe I and port L will pass upward through the port X and downward through the ports Y, N, into the pi pe K whence it will be conducted through the main pipe line connected with the upper ends of the air cylinders connected with the carbodies composing the train, the result being that the pressure of the air upon the upper side of the pistons insaid air cylinders will operate to return the car sections to their former horizontal position while admitting the air to the upper ends of the dumping cylinders for the purpose of returning the car bodies to their horizontal position, the air at the lower side of the pistons in said cylinders will be exhausted through the aperture 0 as hereinafter'dethe valve E is moved to the right in order to bring the port L and port M into communication, through the ports Y and X the extension I) of the recess V will pass into communication with the port 0, and thus there will be a means of exhausting the air from the pipe K through the port M, recess V, and extension I); and when the handle R is turned to the left to throw the port L and port N into communication through the ports X and Y, the extension a of the recess V will pass into communication with the exhaust port 0 and thus whatever air may have remained in the pipe J and its connections may exhaust through the recess V, extension a and aperture 0. Thus with each full stroke of the lfandle R the exhaust O is brought'into communication with the recess V and hence the pipe line which is at the time in connection with the said recess may exhaust through the same and the aperture 0. It is desirable when the air is turned intothe pipe J to elevate the pistons and dump the car sections,

that the air above said pistons and in the pipe line communicating with the upper ends of the air cylinders, shall be'permitted to exhaust; and it is likewise desirable when air is admitted to the upper ends of the cylinders that the air below the pistons andin the pipeline connected with thevlower ends ofthe cylinders may exhaust, so as not to in terfere with the free action of the. pistons, and it is for this reason that with each full stroke Ofjllllfl. handle R the recess V places the pipe line then not in use into communication with the exhaust O. In order to obtain the greatest economy in the use of the compressed air the handle R before being moved to the extreme of its stroke is allowed to remain a moment at its middle position so that the air in the line connected with the pipe J may exhaust into the line connected with the pipe K or vice versa, thereby as above described equalizing the pressure in the two pipes and utilizing a part of the air T the lugs m, n, is

employed to dump the car sections for. the

purpose of aiding in the return of said sections to their horizontal position. The air' which exhausts into the pipe K from the pipe J will not alone probably be sufficient to 0peratethe car sections, but with some additional pressure from the pipe I the air in the pipe K will be enabled to move the said sections.

In the use ofthe valve the handle R'is first pulled to the right to direct the air downward through the pipe Jto the lower endsof the air cylinders, and after the car sections have been tiltedthe handle is moved to its middle position in order to place the pipes J, K, into communication with eachother and to permit the air in the pipe J to enter the pipe K, after which the handle R is moved to the left for the purpose of directing the air from the reservoir downward through the pipe K and toconnect the exhaust O with the pipe J. 'After the car sections have been returned to their horizontal position by'the air entering the upper ends of the dumping cylinders, the handle R is returned to its middle or normal position, at which time the valve will be at rest and the train may move onward.

t It will be observed on reference to Figs. 6 and 7 that the upper surface of the valveE is "provided with lugs m, n, which form between them va tapered space adapted to receive the tapered lower end of the key P; the object of forming the tapered space between to insure theproper placing of the valve E upon the lower section 0. If

by anymistake the workman should in-connecting the parts of the valve, place the valve E in an opposite position to that shown in Fig. 6, so that the recessV would not be over the ports M, N, the mistake would be discovered by the fact that the lower end of the key 'Pwould not at such time enter the said tathe ports L, X, Y

ports X, Y, recess V pered space. the first placing of the valve that the aperture W be over the port L and the recess V over the ports M, N, and hence the space between the lugs m, n, has been tapered to correspond with the taper on the lower'end of It is necessary at all times in the key P as a safe-guard against the valve having in its lower face the recess V and being provided with means of communication from said inlet to either one of said outlets, the said recess V being sufficient in extent to connect the said outlets together when the communication of the latter with the supply inlet is cut-off by said valve and perinit the air in one of said train pipes to exhaust into the other thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. Thervalve casing having in one section the elongated inlet port L and the delivery ports M, N, combined with the valve E resting onesaid section over said ports and having the ports X,'Y, and recess V, the latter v being sufficient in extent to connect the ports M, N, and the port L being sufficient in extent to communicate with the port Y while the port X registers with the port M, and to communicate with the port X while the port Y registers with the port N; and forthe purposes. set forth.

IOO

substantially as 3. The valve casing having in one section the elongated inlet port L, the delivery ports M, N, and exhaust port 0, combined with the valve E resting on said section over said ports and having the ports X, Y and recess V, the latter having the extensions a, 5, adapted when the valve is turned to its extreme position to the right or left to communicate with the exhaust port 0, the said port L being sufficient in extent to communicate with the port Y while the port X registers with the port M, and communicate with the port X while the port Y registers with the port N, and the recess V being sufficient in extent to connect the ports M, N to permit the air from the port N to exhaust into the aperture 0 while communication is established between the ports L, Y, X, M, and to permit the air from the port M to exhaust into the aperture 0 while communication is established between N; substantially as set forth.

4. The valve casing having in one section the elongated inlet port L, and the delivery ports M, N, combined with the valveE seated on said section over said ports and having the and aperture W, the said recess being sufficient in extent to connect the ports M, N, and the inlet port L being Signed at New York, in the county of New suffieient inextent to at all times remain in York andState of New York, this 3dday of [0 communication with the aperture NV and to February, A. D. 1893. communicate Wit the port Y while the port r 1 5 X registers with the port M, and communi- TILLIAM TEACHER eate with the port X while the port Y regis-- Witnesses: ters with the port N; sdhstantiallyasand for CHAS. C. GILL, the purposes set forth. ED. D. MILLER. 

